The Purus, Russas and Valparaiso Projects involve numerous local and international partners that will collectively protect nearly 250,000 acres in the Amazon Rainforest – the world’s largest rainforest - from slash-and-burn forest clearing and prevent millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Avoided deforestation projects are critical because about 20 percent of global warming is attributed to deforestation, which reduces the Earth's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Moreover, fallen trees decompose and release methane, a heat-trapping gas about 23 times more potent than CO2.

The Purus Project was successfully validated to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS) with Gold Distinction in January 2013. The Purus Project is now being reviewed for verification to the VCS and CCBS to assess the Project’s past performance.

The Purus, Russas and Valparaiso Projects are Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) projects that will mitigate deforestation, preserve extraordinary biodiversity, and provide alternative economic opportunities to local communities. Social projects and activities to mitigate deforestation pressures and benefit the local communities include, but are not limited to: agricultural extension training, forest patrols of potential deforestation sites, improving local schools and health clinics, and eventually building better houses and installing solar photovoltaic panels for the local communities to improve their livelihoods.

The Purus, Russas and Valparaiso Projects will also provide a variety of essential ecosystem services such as: erosion and flood control; water cycling, filtration and storage; oxygen production and nutrient recycling; genetic repository for medicinal plants; and habitat for thousands of native Amazonian animal (including scarlet macaws and Amazon River dolphins) and plant species.

The Carbonfund.org Foundation, a leading climate solutions nonprofit organization, is thrilled to announce the launch of its most ambitious – and rewarding – tree-planting campaign ever. With an aim to plant 50 million trees worldwide, Carbonfund.org has created a win-win-win making it easy to support tree-planting projects while receiving free dining rewards and entering to win a Caribbean vacation.

"This is an incredible win-win-win offer! Simply enter to win a Caribbean vacation sweepstakes, then plant trees and receive twice or three times your donation dollars in Restaurant.com dining rewards, which can be used on over 50,000 restaurant deals nationwide. This is a great deal for both people and our planet” exclaims Eric Carlson, president of Carbonfund.org. "Carbonfund.org was founded with a mission to make it simple and affordable for individuals and businesses to help improve the environment and fight the effects of climate change, and this environmental triple-play is our most ambitious effort yet!"

Deforestation is a critical global issue, accounting for about twenty percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally as well as the destruction of habitats, soil erosion, loss of economic opportunities, and degradation of water quality.

Tree-planting projects are simple, affordable actions anyone can support today to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Be part of the solution – join the Carbonfund.org Environmental Triple-Play tree-planting campaign, enjoy the rewards, and help to save the environment!

Proceeds from the Environmental Triple-Play will support tree-planting projects around the world that help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and local communities. Our goal is to plant 50 million trees… one meal at a time.

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About the Carbonfund.org Foundation

Carbonfund.org Foundation is leading the fight against global warming, making it easy and affordable for any individual, business or organization to reduce and offset their climate impact and hasten the transition to a low-carbon future. Carbonfund.org achieves its goals through climate change education, carbon reduction projects, and public outreach.

The printing industry has taken great strides to implement various sustainability initiatives, in order to reduce industry-produced greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve greater production efficiency through chain-of-custody certifications in alignment with the Forest Steward Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

CarbonFree® Business Partner Aslan Graphics recognized that it could take a leadership position by going beyond the industry-wide efforts and directly mitigating its own operational carbon emissions. By joining the CarbonFree® Business Partnership six years ago, award-winning Aslan Graphics has offered its clients the advantages of a carbon emissions-neutral print management company in the very environmentally-aware San Francisco market.

"It would be irresponsible to be a part of the printing industry -- an industry that has a big environmental footprint -- and not try to offset some its effects,” explains Dayala Levenson, President and CEO of Aslan Graphics. “Although there have been tremendous improvements in reducing the impact of printing, I am grateful that we have yet another opportunity to minimize it. Carbonfund.org has given us an easy way to present a carbon offsetting option to our clients and to take advantage of it ourselves."

Aslan Graphics made a commitment to investing in future renewable energy sources through Carbonfund.org. Over the past six years, Aslan Graphics has neutralized almost 500,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions by supporting clean energy project development.

“While we believe that the most important aspect of an environmental policy is to limit your impact from the start, it's good to know that we are able to help counteract the effects of our business through Carbonfund.org,” concludes Dayala. We couldn’t agree more.